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Ukranian Migrant Using AI to Build a Business - Dima Negodiuk (Episode 219)

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

Release Date: 06/03/2026

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

First of the 90-Day Black Tax Series There is a number most of us have never written down. Not because we cannot do the math, but because writing it down makes it real. In this solo episode, Simone opens the first installment of a ninety-day series with a topic she has carried personally: the black tax, the ongoing financial responsibility so many of us hold for family and community back home, or family who followed us here and never quite landed the way we did. Simone walks through what the black tax actually is, the phone call, the tuition, the medical bill, the funeral, the moment saying...

Simone on Speak Harmony Podcast - "Are You Lost In Translation?" (Ep. 224)

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

I recently sat down with Sharon Thompson and Dr. Sharon Reid on the Speak Harmony Podcast to talk about something most of us carry quietly — the self we translate away just to feel acceptable in a new place. We got into what "lost in translation" actually means. It is not the word that gets lost. It is the self. The version of you that was shaped by a particular soil, a particular faith, a particular way of understanding respect, time, and belonging — and what happens when you land somewhere that runs on entirely different, unspoken rules. From there, the conversation moved through third...

Cafecito Cultural Interview: Are You Lost in Translation? (Ep. 223)

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

In this episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone W. Johnson-Smith joins Rosa Bel and the Cafecito Cultural community of educators for a conversation on what actually gets lost when we cross a border: "Are You Lost in Translation? How Culture Shock Shapes the Core of Our Identities." Drawing from her own journey as a Jamaican immigrant and 15 years in U.S. federal service, Simone unpacks why culture shock is not a single event but a slow identity negotiation, one that can quietly reshape a person over a decade or more if it goes unnamed. This conversation explores the three stages...

Machan Taylor - The Voice Behind the Legends

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

Before she ever stepped onto the world stage with Pink Floyd, Sting, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, George Benson, Michael Jackson and more, was a little girl relocated from Japan to suburban America, carrying the lifelong ache of not fully belonging anywhere. That experience of being wrenched from the life and culture that was familiar to her, growing up in a deeply dysfunctional family, with an American born father who cheated on her native Japanese mother and came home from work each night drunk deeply scarred Machan for decades. She struggled to find her identity, struggled with...

MaChan Taylor (Episode 222) - Part 3

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: 💼 Spotify: 💼 Amazon: 📱Support our Patreon: 📱Connect with Simone! 💼 Website: 📱 Follow us on Social Media: 💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼 Instagram: / theimmigrantexperiencepodcast 💼 TikTok: / theimmigrantexperience 📱 Share your story with us: 💼 Disclaimer: The Immigrant Experience in America podcast is produced in my personal capacity. The views and opinions shared by me and...

MaChan Taylor (Episode 221) - Part 2

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

MaChan Taylor (Episode 220) - Part 1

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

Ukranian Migrant Using AI to Build a Business - Dima Negodiuk (Episode 219)

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

In this powerful episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone speaks with Ukrainian immigrant Dima Negojuk about his family's extraordinary journey from war-torn Ukraine to rebuilding their lives in New York. Just days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Dima's young son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When war broke out and hospitals shut down, the family faced two battles at once: a devastating war and a life-threatening medical crisis. Forced to leave everything behind—including their business, home, and financial security—they arrived in the United States with only two...

Mental Health of Immigrants | Neither Here Nor There (Episode 218) - Part 3

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

In this powerful episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone W. Johnson sits down with Dr. Leide Porcu, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and author of Neither Here Nor There: A Guide for Immigrants and the Therapists Who Walk With Them. Drawing from her own lived experience as an immigrant and decades of clinical practice, Dr. Porcu unpacks the emotional and psychological realities many immigrants carry but rarely name, identity fragmentation, suppressed distress, and multilayered grief. This conversation explores why immigrants often feel unseen in their mourning, how cultural...

Mental Health of Immigrants | Neither Here Nor There (Episode 217) - Part 2

The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)

More Episodes

In this powerful episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, Simone speaks with Ukrainian immigrant Dima Negojuk about his family's extraordinary journey from war-torn Ukraine to rebuilding their lives in New York.

Just days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Dima's young son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When war broke out and hospitals shut down, the family faced two battles at once: a devastating war and a life-threatening medical crisis. Forced to leave everything behind—including their business, home, and financial security—they arrived in the United States with only two suitcases and hope.

Dima shares how charitable organizations, generous strangers, and the immigrant spirit helped his family survive and eventually thrive. He also discusses how learning artificial intelligence became his pathway from survival to entrepreneurship, enabling him to build a consulting business from scratch despite having no technical background.

This episode is a moving testament to resilience, community, gratitude, and the power of reinvention.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Escaping War While Fighting a Medical Crisis

Son diagnosed with a brain tumor two days before the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian hospitals became inaccessible after the outbreak of war.
Family traveled across Ukraine seeking treatment before ultimately coming to the United States.
Emotional challenges of navigating war while trying to save a child's life.

2. Arriving in America with Nothing

Entering the U.S. with only two suitcases.
Receiving support from charitable organizations and local communities.
Life-changing assistance from the Ronald McDonald House in New York.
Experiencing extraordinary generosity from strangers.

3. The Power of Human Kindness

Housing assistance from community organizations.
Educational scholarships for their young child.
Neighbors and nonprofit groups stepping in during critical moments.
Paying kindness forward and helping others whenever possible.

4. Living with Ongoing Uncertainty

Family members remaining in Ukraine.
Daily realities of missile attacks and destruction.
Emotional strain of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) uncertainty.
Building a future while not knowing what comes next.

5. Discovering AI as a Survival Tool

Learning AI out of necessity rather than curiosity.
Using AI to replace functions traditionally performed by employees.
Automating business processes despite having no coding background.
Leveraging AI to create opportunities as a newcomer entrepreneur.

6. Building an AI Consulting Business

Transitioning from entrepreneur to AI consultant.
Helping small businesses implement AI effectively.
Becoming a Fractional AI Officer for growing companies.
Being featured in Forbes and gaining recognition in the AI space.

Key Takeaways

Resilience often emerges in life's most difficult moments.
Community support can transform a family's future.
Technology can become a powerful equalizer for immigrants and entrepreneurs.
Reinvention is possible at any stage of life.
AI offers unprecedented opportunities for individuals without technical backgrounds.
Gratitude and generosity create lasting impact across communities.
Starting over does not mean starting from zero—you bring your experience, determination, and perspective with you.

Subscribe to:

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theimmigrantexperience

Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN

💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE

💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn

📱Support our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3KwUiTz

📱Connect with Simone!

💼 Website: https://www.thebridgeconcepts.org

📱 Follow us on Social Media:

💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼 Instagram: / theimmigrantexperiencepodcast

💼 TikTok: / theimmigrantexperience 📱 Share your story with us: 💼 simone.8.johnson@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The Immigrant Experience in America podcast is produced in my personal capacity. The views and opinions shared by me and my guests are our own and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of the U.S. government or USCIS.

Please note: I do not provide immigration legal services or case-specific guidance. My work focuses on cultural adjustment, financial empowerment, and personal growth.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Escaping War While Fighting a Medical Crisis

2. Arriving in America with Nothing

3. The Power of Human Kindness

4. Living with Ongoing Uncertainty

5. Discovering AI as a Survival Tool

6. Building an AI Consulting Business

Key Takeaways

TOPICS